Tag Archives: guest post

1. Government Watch Lists: The Watch & Wand is set in a post-apocalyptic world where all but the most basic technology is outlawed. As a result, my search history includes all sorts of doomsday prepper supplies and survivalist techniques. Combined with the fact that I also write mysteries which require me to research various ways to kill people off while making it appear as a natural occurrence, it is a wonder I haven’t already had a visit by a government agent.

2. Split Personalities: Before I started writing I would nervously cross the street if I heard someone engaging in a two sided conversation with no one else present. Now, after catching myself trading barbs with myself out loud, I have to wonder if those other people simply were trying to work out the dialogue of a problematic scene.

3. Stunted Growth: This was not a concern of mine as I stopped growing upward sometime in the sixth grade, but for others you have to seriously wonder how much taller they might have been had it not been for the volume of caffeine the typical writer consumes.

4. Other Addictions: Look to most any writer’s bookshelf. A sandwich dressed by both mayonnaise and mustard might be considered an extravagant expense some weeks on a writer’s income, and yet an e-reader’s memories are filled and shelves sag as more books get added to the ever growing To Be Read list, rationalized as ‘research.’

5. Uncontrollable lies: Speaking of that To Be Read list, let’s go to the numbers. The average person reads at a speed of 200 words per minute. A book is considering a novel at 50,000, but some genre’s go far longer. Epic fantasy for example is often between 100,000 and 200,000. So let’s use then 80,000 words as a reference. This means that reading a book from end to end should take a typical reader 400 minutes or 6.67 hours.

As pesky things like sleep, family, and other jobs tend to get in the way of quality reading time the size of the To Be Read list rapidly outgrows available time and yet we can’t help ourselves from adding to it.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are other lies we tell ourselves:

We’ll never be good enough

We’re the best writer out there

No one will read it

It will be an instant best-seller

The one negative review among the twenty positive ones was the only honest review

the one negative review offering constructive criticism was written by a troll who obviously knows nothing as we are perfect

Choosing to be a writer is a dangerous path, but one I’ve never regretted taking.

Allie Potts is the author of The Fair & Foul and The Watch & Wand, books one and two of the Project Gene Assist series. Set in a not too distant future, the books take place at a time when science meets magic and biology merges with technology, while tackling what it means to be human.

Additionally, she is the author of An Uncertain Faith, a Rocky Row Novel, a cozy mystery/women’s literature story written for those who find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place.

When not finding ways to squeeze in 72 hours into a 24 day or chasing after children determined to turn her hair gray before its time, Allie enjoys stories of all kinds. Her favorites, whether they are novels, film, or simply shared aloud with friends, are usually accompanied with a glass of wine or cup of coffee in hand.

Steve is absolutely one of my favorite bloggers. Give him a read and follow him everywhere.

Have You Had A Dream Come True?

Everyone had childhood dreams when they were little about what they want to do in their life.

Many adults may now think, in the words of S Club 7, that they’ve “never had a dream come true“. Is that true though? Let’s have a little think about it…

When I had this thought I re-visited my childhood, the dreams that I had and I was actually quite surprised at how many of my dreams had, in a big way or a small way, actually came true.

I remember when I was young I always wanted to be a famous author churning out hit novels when I grew up. I started off by having an old-fashioned typewriter and I would write story after story. I was then lucky enough to get a brand new electric typewriter which sat pride of place on my makeshift desk. By makeshift, I mean it was a plank of wood sticking out of my bedroom wall with a piece of carpet on top so that the noise from my typing wouldn’t echo all around the house.

I used to think to myself, I’d love to be a writer and have my own office one day where I can just lock myself away and write, write, write.

Recently, I decided I would have a “blog day” and just lock myself away in our office…

…and write. I’m no successful author by any stretch of the imagination but as far as I am concerned this is…

Dream come true – number one!

As far back as I can remember I have always loved music and from an early age I would watch all the pop stars performing their songs thinking what a great life they must have while wondering if I would ever be famous.

Would I ever be top of the charts with a hit song?

Perhaps if I’d spent more time learning how to play musical instruments then it could have happened.

However, I sucked at playing the guitar at school and when it came my turn to play the drums I refused because I knew I simply wouldn’t be able to do it. I was told by the teacher to either play the drums or go and stand outside the classroom – I put down the sticks and went and stood outside so any dreams of being a stadium-sell out musician pretty much ended there.

Dream come true – number two!

I used to love watching films and back in those days it was a special occasion when we got to watch a video. We didn’t initially own our own video player and we shared it with friends so when it was our turn it was very exciting.

I’d spend ages in the video store looking at all the films available for rent and then take one home and watch it at least twice before having to return it. Someone will be renting my movies one day, I used to think. I was going to make movies when I grew up!

Wow, a pop singing, novel-writing movie maker – I was going to be a very busy adult!

These days, the only similarity between me and Steven Spielberg is the name but due to the way technology has progressed anyone can make videos these days and I have made quite a lot. I’ll never get an Oscar but one of my videos has had over 45K views on YouTube! Here’s hoping my latest one goes viral!

I could spend hours using video-editing software and quite often I do, even if it’s only me that ever watches them. this is. I’ve also appeared in front of the camera on a few occasions if you are brave enough to watch.

As far as I am concerned this is…

Dream come true – number three!

Sunday evenings for me growing up was all about the TOP 40 Chart Show. I would listen to the countdown of the top 40 best-selling songs of that week from start to finish – wondering who would be number one for the week. I would record my favourites as every one else used to do too but I would also want to be the radio DJ.

So, what I would do is get one of my tapes that I had purchased, say for example the latest compilation album, and I would sellotape over the little holes that stopped the cassette being protected so that I could record myself between the tracks introducing the next song – just like a DJ.

How unbelievably dorky was I?

I’ve not exactly made it on to Radio One but I used to do a Weekly Playlist VLOG to accompany my playlist posts which counted down my most played songs every week…

Even if they only got 10 views each week as far as I am concerned this is…

Dream come true – number four!

Lastly and perhaps my most obscure dreams were themed around two of my fictional heroes when I was young – Superman and Doctor Who. I wanted to be like Superman so I could fly and have laser eyes. I wanted a TARDIS like Doctor Who so I could travel through space and time.

How can I now possibly say either of those dreams have come true in any shape or form? Read on, dear followers…

Up until 2010 I had always been blind as a bat and my options were to either to wear contact lenses, glasses or neither and end up getting hit by a bus. I opted for a combination of glasses and contacts as the bus thing didn’t really appeal to me. But, in 2010 I underwent laser-eye surgery and just like that I had 20/20 vision once more and it did actually feel like I had super-sight.

One day in 2013 a mysterious man invited me into his police-box and it was so much bigger on the inside…

Timelord Steve

I’m not Super or a Timelord but as far as I’m concerned this is…

Dream come true – number five!

What about you? What were your childhood dreams? Have they come true in any kind of way?